Castle
by VeemoMeemo
Summary: "Oh, all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it" - "Castle," by Halsey [Tags will be added accordingly, and there are other fandoms that aren't listed]


Tanjiro was in awe.

He used to think Tokyo was crazy, with the lights that lit the city up if it were daytime and the sheer amount of people in one setting.

Wherever he was, made Tokyo seem like his village.

His throat went sour at the memory.

Nezuko jostled in her box at the feeling of her brother's melancholy, Tanjiro chuckled.

"I'm okay Nezuko, it was a fond memory that made me sad."

He heard a purr emanate from the wooden box strapped to his back before jiggling and stilling. He sighed trotted into the forest of metal pillars.

If there was one thing Tanjiro learned in his years as a demon slayer, it was that where happiness ends…

There's always the smell of blood in the air.

Which is why he stilled at the smell of the metallic scent, before running for the source at the sound of a scream. Even though he felt outside of his comfort zone, he will compliment this sea of metal sky pillars on their narrow paths. They helped him pinpoint the location of where the smell emanated from.

Tanjiro gasped for air, the sound of his shoes against the pale square rock underneath him. The sound increased in pace as he regulated his breath, being tired was never an option. He sniffed the air one last time.

The demon was in the left-most path.

A scream echoed from the path, almost in a subtle way of saying 'you were correct.' A growl sounded from the box. Tanjiro realized that if he gripped the hilt of his blade any longer, it would snap.

He treaded onto the path but stilled as scents assaulted his nose.

The first was intertwined with the smell of blood, bitter fear and the flowery smell of effeminacy. The second was a fading smell of the musky scent of masculinity tied with strong justice which was being clouded by the jarring horrible smell of death. The last one, however, did not smell of demon. Demons always had a peculiar smell, often rancid with metallicy of blood.

But this smell reminded him of a western beverage Zenitsu asked him to try once. It was at a 'café' somewhere near the train station. Zenitsu often described it as life water, as it kept him awake for longer than necessary. It was bitter like tea but it had a unique taste on its own.

Coffee…

It was called… coffee…

The smell was present on the _demon_ incremented with the bloody scent. Another scent was this _clean_ smell. Reminding him of the med bay at the Wisteria house. Sterile.

At last, he made it to the scene of the crime. There was no mistaking a demon was there, the smell of blood hanging to every crevice in the catacomb. Tanjiro slapped a hand over his nose, one would think they would get used to the smell by now. He never did.

Nezuko growled within her wooden chamber. Tanjiro paused to pat the box. He felt uneasy about confronting this demon; its smell was off.

The walls were splattered crimson and gradually increasing in color to the point of appearing as if it painted.

Tanjiro turned left to the open area, its walls the metal sky pillars with hollow caverns. Shaped like a cage.

A squelching sound caught Tanjiro's attention.

In the middle of the open-air cavern lay a human figure covered in blood, another 'human' figure hunched over him. The eyes of the figure laying down, the light had already faded from them. A shriek came from his right, a lady was curled in on herself watching the scene unfold. She glanced at Tanjiro and without hesitation-

"Get out of here!"

Tanjiro jumped at her declaration.

"What are you doing?!" She yelped, glancing at the corpse and turning back to him, "get out before you're-

A shiny, and glowing, green tendril speared into the metal pillar between the woman and the boy. The lady shrieked and stumbled, before falling back onto the floor. She winced and cradled her leg. Tanjiro noticed she had a wound on her leg.

It was a bite mark.

Nezuko started scratching the door of her box, growling. Tanjiro's nostrils flared, the hilt of his blade groaned at the pressure of his fist gripping it.

The woman gasped as he trod closer to the demon, making its meal out of a well-dressed western man.

"Don't get any closer-

The tendril slammed against the smooth rock floor, cracking it. Tanjiro stilled and gulped, what did he get himself into?

"Will you shut up already?" Just as the woman turned to the demon, Tanjiro did as well. "Humans always make so much noise-" the jade tendril rose out of the rubble"-squealing about 'I'll protect you!' and all that self-sacrificial bullshit-" it straightened out before curling on itself like a snake "-more reasons why I like to eat in peace." The tail pointed right at the woman, before lunging to strike. The woman shrieked.

Time slowed down as Tanjiro took a deep breath-

-and sliced the tendril in half. The woman's eyes gaped at the display.

He exhaled.

"Oh?"

Tanjiro switched his stance to the demon.

"So they sent reinforcements, did they?" The demon stood up from the carcass, his shortened 'tail' retracting. The demon turned its head over its shoulder, displaying one black orb with a blood-red dot in the middle. "This should be fun," it sent a Cheshire grin.

Tanjiro looked over his shoulder at the woman.

"Please go, miss, I can handle this." The woman nodded before stumbling out of the cavern.

"It is my lucky day," Tanjiro turned to the demon and growled, "not just one Dove, but two. That makes three humans in a day." Tanjiro sent a perplexed look, the demon smiled and turned to face him fully.

"What's wrong, dove. Ghoul got your tongue?" The demon said in a sing-song voice while tilting its head, "never heard yourself be called 'Dove?' You must be new," it displayed its white teeth for Tanjiro, "I'll take great pleasure in tearing you to pieces, little dove." The demon lunged after him.

Tanjiro dodged and slid to the side. His sword pointed out where the demon landed. A cloud of debris blocked his view of the demon, but he knew it would strike.

Its tail had a medical smell to it.

He just barely dodged the snake-like tail. Its texture was like shining jewels but the surface looked similar to reptilian scales and it pulsed like a heart.

For what it was used for, it smelled too clean.

"Is that what they dress the Fresh Meat in, now?" Tanjiro jerked his head to figure emerging from the cloud. The demon scratched its head, before popping its neck, "what weeeeiiiird way to dress, I thought all doves wore that suffocating suit and tie."

Tanjiro tensed as the demon continued to stretch. He was not going to leave himself vulnerable to the demon.

The demon lazily glanced at the demon slayer before smiling and tilting its head again, "gonna be quiet, eh?" It showed its teeth again, "that's fine, dove."

Tanjiro gasped before ducking as the tail swiped overhead.

"Ooooooh, so they did teach you self-preservation." He watched as the demon's feet slowly made it over to where they were right in front of his face. "Too bad it won't help you in the long run," Tanjiro growled at the demon, his hand creeping over to his sheathed blade.

"By the way," his hand gripped the hilt.

"What's in the box?" Tanjiro inhaled.

The demon fell as its feet were chopped off.

"You can't have it!" Tanjiro yelled jumping back into stance.

The demon groaned and then chuckled, before howling in laughter. "So the Dove can speak, what's in the box, little boy? Got something to hide?"

Nezuko scratched at the box, growls muffled by the aged wood. Tanjiro wished he could pat her head and tell her he was fine.

But in the presence of this demon, it was too dangerous to do so.

The demon got up and faced him, "doesn't matter anyway, I'll pick it apart after I pick you apart, little dove." The demon smiled, but Tanjiro smiled as well.

He smelled a thread, right at its neck.

The snake tail coiled and lunged. Tanjiro took one last breath.

The tail didn't even get to pierce the rock floor before it went limp. The demon's head rolled onto the ground, painting the grayish floor in a forbidden paint.

He breathed out, returning his blade to its sheath.

The flowery smell entered before he heard the shuffling. Tanjiro turned to the woman who gripped to the wall of the pillar for her life.

"Is…. Is the.." she yelped, Tanjiro rushed to catch her before her face made contact with the floor. She groaned and cradled her wounded leg.

"Please miss, don't stress yourself. The demon is taken care of, but you still need medical treatment." Tanjiro hoisted the woman into his arms, she was just a little taller than him. She was, however, light. "Is there a place I can take you so you can be cared for? I don't know the area very well," the woman's face dropped. Tanjiro cocked an eyebrow.

"Sadly… that's the reason why I was out here in the first place."


End file.
